The architectural flourishes that distinguish this Gothic masterpiece date from the era of a plague that left Britain devastated – but suggest a serene belief in paradise

The lofty vaults and dreamy cloisters of this cathedral make it a masterpiece of the elevated and pointed Gothic style. Although Gloucester was founded as a religious community in the 7th century, the architectural flourishes that distinguish it were started in the 1330s and carried on into the early 1400s – spanning the era of the Black Death. Medieval Britons believed deeply in God. There is nothing here that suggests anyone’s faith failed when the land was devastated by this horrifying plague in the 1340s. Angels soar on high, columns and arches reach up in a fantastic forest of stone, and the tombs lie tranquil, their inhabitants apparently assured of paradise.
Illustration: Nick Servian/Robert Harding/Rex Features